Few, so here it finally is. My first Dragon Age fanfic. Sorry if it seems a bit, odd for the first chapter - writing this I decided that it should properly be a prolouge. And yes, the other characters will be introduced after this chapter, I just had this idea in my mind for a few days after playing the game, and wanted it written. I imagine there was some kind of awkward conversation concerning Duncan between the two Grey Wardens after Ostagar the first night back at camp - this is just my image. Well, I guess I should stop being a babbling idiot like Alistair and just leave you to read this. You know the drill, review if you like, leave cookies if you love, if you hate then you hate - idk if I like this all that much myself tbh.

Prologue: 'The Elf's Song'

Baby tell me you remember, the time in which our eyes first met


Alistair was having trouble sleeping again. It was those dreams, those nightmares that had continued to haunt him ever since the night of his joining to the Grey Wardens. Tonight however, they were different. Instead of being haunted by the visions of the arch demon, his mind was clouded by the vision of Ostagar, and of Duncan.

He sat up, the sickening feeling that was in the pit of stomach beginning to subside slightly as the dream become more and more of a blur. Apart from him. Apart from that older Grey Warden who had instructed and guided him for so long. Replacing the sickness came the sharp emotion of guilt resting inside him. The guilt that had been weighed on him since the news dawned. The never-ending feeling within him that nagged at him to have done something more, to try and save a life. But alas, deep inside him he also knew, Duncan would have not wanted to be saved. Not if this was the outcome he had to wake up to.

Sighing, and holding back to tears that were beginning to be set free for the umpteenth time that day, Alistair got up to put his armour on. There was no way he was going to be able to sleep again that night, so instead he decided he'd keep watch. It wasn't until he finished pulling his armour on he noticed it. The sound that was caught on the wind, a soft melody. Curious; Alistair opened his tent and began searching for the direction the sound was coming from. Noting that it wasn't that far away, he decided to follow it. As the sound grew louder, he noted that the harmonious tune held a sad emotion to it. Whoever was playing such music, their heart bled terribly. It was as if someone's soul was being poured into the tune, just waiting and praying for someone to hear their story.

When he came to the source of the sound, Alistair couldn't help but be shocked. There, sitting on a fallen log was his fellow Grey Warden; Evelyn. To his surprise, she was holding a small flute – most likely some kind of elvish heirloom. Alistair didn't know what was more shocking, that it was Evelyn playing the heartbreaking melody that he was hearing, or the fact that he'd never had imagined that she even had this side to her. Thinking that though in his mind, he remembered that they really hadn't met all that long ago, and so it properly wasn't that much of a shock that he didn't know her that well. Still, the fact that they were the only two Grey Wardens left in Ferelden right now; and that they were on this quest together, alone – unless you counted that witch Morrigan who for one reason or another had ended up becoming a tag along with them – he thought that he had better make the effort to get to know the girl better.

Suddenly, he noticed that the song had stopped, and that Evelyn was now staring at him. How long had he been standing there caught in his own thoughts like an idiot? He could feel his cheeks flushing red from blushing, and thanked the Maker that it was dark so that he didn't look even more ridiculous than he already did.

"Are you ... just going to continue standing there or ... are you going to move?" Came her quiet voice. Shaking his head to get out of his daze, Alistair decided to walk forward quickly and sit on the log beside her – just wanting this embarrassing moment to end quickly.

They sat in silence for what felt like an eternity, Alistair staring at his own hands and Evelyn at the flute.

"I – just wondered where the sound was coming from. I didn't mean to interrupt you or anything" Alistair stumbled, trying to break the awkward silence.

"I moved here, further out from the camp so as not to disturb either you or Morrigan. I guess that I was still playing loud enough to wake you up..." Evelyn replied quietly once again, properly feeling the same embarrassment that Alistair himself was experiencing right then.

"Wake me up? Oh no! You needn't worry about that. I sleep like a rock, yes. I was already awake anyway..." Alistair wanted to mentally bite his tongue and shut up. He always had this trouble, just, babbling on about nothing in particular.

He sighed, the silence between them falling once again. He honestly didn't know what to say to her, he was never really good at conversing with women anyway, but one that was obviously upset about something deep inside? Well, those were of the biggest mystery to him.

"So I take it, if you've been up all this time – that you yourself couldn't sleep yourself for some reason?" It was Evelyn who broke the silence this time. Alistair turned to look at her, still clasping the flute in her hands, sadness evident on her eyes. Yep, he thought to himself, this definitely wasn't the time to joke.

"Nightmares. That's – all it was really. Just haunting nightmares." He frowned at the memory of his dream, of the image of Duncan in his mind.

"I see."

Evelyn obviously noted that the dreams Alistair mentioned were properly not grounds for conversation, and for that he didn't want to pursue in explaining them. So instead, she decided not to question what they were about, even if she did already have a clear image in her mind as to what they involved. But that still didn't answer why she was up herself. Too afraid to ask, Alistair decided to switch the conversation.

"So erm ... that tune; you we're playing just now. What – well, what was it?"

A silent period emerged for a few moments, and Alistair thought that perhaps she wasn't going to answer. But then all of a sudden, she spoke.

"It's an old lullaby. It's one that used to be sung to me when I was younger. My people would often play music by the firelight, as if telling a story of times long gone. Each melody tells its own story, and shares its own emotion. For some reason, the one I was playing earlier – it always soothed and made me feel comfortable when I needed to be at peace the most."

"And – what tale does that tune sing?" Alistair was curious now. He'd got her to open up, to talk about herself. This was different; He'd never expected that she'd openly discuss things. Since the few days he'd known her, Evelyn always appeared to be a secretive type of person to him. Perhaps all she needed was someone there to listen to her story – much like what he longed for.

Evelyn looked up to the stars above her, a single tear escaping her eyes.

"This tale is of sorrow, and of sadness. Of loss, and of returning to nature." She paused and looked at the flute again, a small smile on her lips as the tear fell. "It felt right to play it – after all that happened in such a short amount of time, what with Tamlen, and Ostagar, and Duncan...'

Both of them felt a twinge hit them inside, and Evelyn knew that then she shouldn't have mentioned Duncan. She wanted to hit herself for being so insensitive. Instead, silence fell on the two of them once again as the thought of Duncan cast over their minds.

"I'm sorry," She whispered finally, closing her eyes. "I shouldn't have said anything."

Before Alistair could protest she stood up from the log, and put the flute away.

"We should get back to camp," she said, falling back into leader mode. "If Morrigan wakes up and finds the two of us missing, she'll properly think we've left her behind."

Alistair followed suit, quickly trying to forget what had just happened.

"You mean leaving her behind whilst also leaving all our belongings and weapons behind too? I'm sure she wouldn't mind at all."

Evelyn allowed herself to smile weakly, feeling slightly happier that the conversation hadn't seemed to change Alistair's jokey behaviour.

"Even so, we should prepare for tomorrow. We have a long journey ahead of us, and something tells me it won't be a relatively easy one."

"What? Fighting darkspawn? Nah, it should be a breeze with our team!"

The both of them walked back to camp, Alistair feeling secretly happy that he knew a bit more about Evelyn. They were going to be stuck with each other for a while, so it wouldn't be a bad idea for the two of them to form a friendship together. Would it?

And so it begins ...

Btw, thanks to I Caught Myself for sitting there for about twenty minutes while we both argued at word for a misspelling something I spelt right. Chapter one will be up ... soon. I hope. Just watch, you'll soon see.